Monroe Doctrine

The Monroe Doctrine was established by US President James Monroe in 1823 and defined US policy against European interference in America.

The Monroe Doctrine was established by US President James Monroe in a speech delivered to the US Congress in 1823. He defined the actions his government would take to prevent Europe from interfering in the independence process in America, especially in Latin America.

This doctrine was defined with the following motto:“America for Americans .” Without European interference, the United States could exert its influence over independent nations on the European continent.

Also read: March to the West — The Process of Territorial Expansion of the United States

Summary on the Monroe Doctrine

The Monroe Doctrine was established in 1823 by US President James Monroe to stop European interference in America.
The United States acted to defend the American nations and influence their political decisions.
The motto of this doctrine was “America for Americans.”
The consequences of the Monroe Doctrine were the strengthening of North American influence over the other countries of the continent and its territorial expansion to the west.

Context of the Monroe Doctrine

To understand the historical context of the Monroe Doctrine, it is necessary to look at events in both America and Europe. At the beginning of the 19th century, Europe and America were undergoing major changes.

In the Old World, the Napoleonic Era ended in 1825 , and the monarchies that were overthrown after Napoleon Bonaparte's invasions met in Vienna, Switzerland, for a congress that discussed the fate of the continent after such a turbulent period, which began in 1789 with the French Revolution. The restoration of these kingdoms changed the political map of Europe.

French rule over Europe reached the kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. Both Portuguese and Spaniards were under Napoleonic rule. This change in the policy of Portugal and Spain had consequences in their colonies in America. The anti-absolutist Enlightenment ideals and the revolutionary force of freedom, fraternity and equality, added to the absence of an absolutist monarch, made the Latin American settlers fight for their independence.

The European nations dominated by Napoleon Bonaparte could not restrain these libertarian manifestations in their colonies. However, shortly after the fall of the French Emperor, in addition to restoring the order before the French Revolution, these monarchies tried to prevent colonial independence .

The United States had become independent in 1776 and emerged as a reference to other Latin American colonies, which intended to follow the same path towards independence. The Americans advanced territorially to the west, but they did not want to lose sight of events in Europe and Latin America.

In this context, the former Thirteen English Colonies began to join forces to prevent the restoration of absolutist monarchies in Europe from interfering with the course of Latin American nations that became independent.

Manifest Destiny

Sometime after gaining their independence, the United States began investing in its territorial expansion . Thus, the North Americans tried to conquer new lands to the west, towards the Pacific Ocean. Again, it is necessary to emphasize that the events that took place in Europe help to understand the territorial expansion undertaken by the United States.

This expansion was not only based on territorial conquest and the search for new riches. Other elements also became motivators for people to settle in the new conquered lands. Religion and culture became fundamental parts of North American expansion. The justification for this was called Manifest Destiny , that is, the belief that the United States had the mission of bringing to the peoples, both for the indigenous people who were in their lands to the west and for the Latin Americans who conquered their independence, civilization, democracy and the guarantee of freedom.

The United States, which was already a reference in the process of political emancipation, imposed its strength in America against any attempt at inference coming from Europe. This supposed American mission to spread progress, civilization and Christianity was not restricted to indigenous peoples, who had their lands taken by the United States during its westward march, as it affected all of Latin America.

The former European colonies became politically independent in the first two decades of the 19th century. Economically, the new Latin American nations only shifted the dependence of the Portuguese and Spanish monarchies to the United States.

→ Video lesson on the United States in the 19th century

What was the purpose of the Monroe Doctrine?

James Monroe was the fifth president of the United States and ruled the country between 1817 and 1825. He is considered one of the founding fathers of the nation and played an important role in the process of independence of the Thirteen Colonies. Monroe ruled the United States in the initial period of territorial expansion to the west.

On December 2, 1825, he gave a speech to the US Congress setting out the principles of what would be called the Monroe Doctrine. These principles were guided by the freedom of all Americans and European non-interference in the continent.

To that end, the Monroe Doctrine strengthened the power of the United States over America as it conquers new territories to the west and expands its borders to the Pacific coast. Furthermore, through this doctrine, the North Americans prevented the European monarchies, which restored their territories after the end of the Napoleonic Era (1815), from preventing the independence of their colonies in America.

There was a clear European attempt to recolonize the continent. Therefore, the ideology “America for Americans” adapted to the context of that time and placed the United States as a leading nation and great power guaranteeing freedom and democracy in America.

Also see: Abraham Lincoln — one of the most important figures in American history

Actual goals of the Monroe Doctrine

Some critics of the US policy of territorial expansion claim that the Monroe Doctrine had as its real objective the guarantee that only the US should exert influence over the new Latin American nations, whether in political, economic or cultural matters. Such a doctrine would guarantee North American hegemony over the continent . Furthermore, the motto of “America for Americans” would be a reference only to Americans residing in the United States.

Another interest arising from this ideology was territorial expansion. The North Americans took advantage of the changes that took place in Europe shortly after the end of the Napoleonic Era to conquer the lands that until then belonged to European nations such as France and England. In addition to conquering the land, the United States would ward off any interference from Europe in its westward march.

In summary, it can be said that the real objectives of the Monroe Doctrine would benefit only Americans in the United States and not Americans across the continent.

Consequences of the Monroe Doctrine

The practice of the Monroe Doctrine prevented Europe from reconquering its colonies in America , just at the moment when the monarchies were restoring their rule after the end of the Napoleonic Era. Furthermore, the United States completed its territorial conquest by dominating the eastern and western sides of North America. Upon reaching California, the Americans discovered large gold mines, which brought economic benefits to the country.

The rapid economic development of the United States was directly favored by the Monroe Doctrine. The belief in taking what would be civilizing ideals to other peoples also promoted the conquest of new lands and technological development in the region, such as the construction of railway lines that enabled faster communication.

Through the Monroe Doctrine, the United States not only warded off a threat of European interference in America, but reinforced its hold on the newly independent Latin American nations. The motto “America for Americans” has become synonymous with US dominance over other countries on the continent . The industrialization of the United States that took place in the mid-nineteenth century made the economy of Latin America become a supplier of raw material to meet the demand arising from this process.

Currently, US presidents often use ideas that refer to the Monroe Doctrine in their speeches, as they show that military interventions carried out in foreign countries, for example, are a North American mission. -American to ensure freedom, democracy and progress around the world.

Also read: How is the president of the United States elected?

Resolved exercises on the Monroe Doctrine

Question 1

About the Monroe Doctrine, it is correct to state that:

a) was a doctrine established by the Catholic Church to contain the advance of Protestantism in Latin America.

b) conceived by James Monroe, it established principles for the United States to remove any European influence on the continent from America.

c) was a set of rules made in the English Parliament to stop the actions of Napoleon Bonaparte after the Continental Blockade.

d) the United States sent weapons and ammunition so that all Latin American colonies would go to war against the European metropolises.

Answer :

Letter B

The Monroe Doctrine reinforced the hegemony of the United States on the American continent, preventing European nations from re-colonizing their former colonies.

Question 2

The Monroe Doctrine traced the paths that the United States would follow in the following times in relation to Latin America. About this, mark the correct alternative:

a) The United States has campaigned to maintain cordiality and good neighborliness among Latin American nations.

b) The Monroe Doctrine's motto, “America for Americans,” has become synonymous with US dominance over newly independent Latin American countries.

c) Shortly after its independence, the United States remained close to England and used the Monroe Doctrine to prevent the independence of former European colonies in America.

d) The Monroe Doctrine had no effect on Latin America and was abandoned by the United States because of the failure of territorial expansion.

Answer:

Letter B

The Monroe Doctrine became the subject of criticism because of US economic interests in relation to Latin America that were camouflaged in the discourse of democracy and progress.